Dancing toy



March '1 1927.

L. K. H. THOMSEN DANCING TOY Filed April 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

March 1 1 H. THOMSEN DANCING TOY Filed April 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

flmmw rm ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

can ED STATES? 1,619,446 PAT ENT oFFm LAURA K. H. THOMSEN, OF SAN: FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIAM in DANGINGTOY.

Application filed April 19, 1926..'Seria1 No.'102,853l

This invention relates to dancing toys and particularly to soft stuffed anlmalshaving' soft stuffed limbs-sewed thereto/in a manner forming pivotal connections, permitting from soft fabric-material and'the legs, arms,

and head are attached thereto bysewing, in a manner forming pivotal seam connections permitting lateral swinging movement The legs can :also' be jointed byfsewinga seam thereaeross. The 'dancingmovement is conveyed to the toy by an-inelastic'cord, all of which will be hereinafter described.

The toy is so constructed that it can-read-' ily be made in the home and provide attractive needle work for the children'and even the older daughters of the family. My .improved toy can be manufactured and. sold as a complete article, or the parts necessary to make the toy may be formed. and sold. The latter procedure is preferable. The several parts necessary to construct'the toy are formed and placed in an envelope which is made an article of sale. "In addition to havingall. these necessary'parts, theenvelope also contains full instructions for making the toy. The adaptability of the toy to this method of sale and distribution, is a very desirable feature of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated two examples of animal toys embodying my invention, but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawings are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to this specification being relied upon for that purose. 1 p Referring to the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 illustrates a black lady shimmy doll, embodying my invention.

Figure 2 illustrates my invention embodied in a dancing mule.

The toy illustrated in Fig. 1 is a black lady shimmy doll having a small slender body 1 and long slender arms 2 and legs 3. The arms are unjointed and the legs are jointed'at 4. The arms'and legs are pivotally secured 'to the body for lateral swinging movement by beingsewed"thereto and the joint 4 is formed bysewi-ng in like 'manner. The extremities of the legs are weighted-by clogs 5, whereby" to aid the dancing movement of the toy;

The head-6 is relatively large and supported on ;a relatively long neck 7. The lair 8 may be made-of yarn andthe'eyes and .mouth may be embroideredin suitable colors. The hips '9'a-re' relatively widegsub stantially the width of the body, and a bright colored skirt 10 may be placed thereover. The toy'i's adapted to be supported on an inelastic cord 11 attached centrally to the rear of the body 'atthe base 'oi': theneck The construction-and supporting of the doll is suc'lrthat it will simulatea grotesque dance and cause great amusement and merriment when mani-pulatedon the cord '11};

The cordis so attached that the doll assumes its normal upright position when supported thereby By dancing 'the doll on the cord by short=quick-jerks, its arms and legsnarea caused to flop about in amanner simulating a very odd dance. The arms being unjoint-- ed, will flop upwardlyand outwardly and the legsbeingjointed, will bowoutwardly as illustrated in dash lines. The clogsfor the feet aid considerably in this movement and the engagement of these clogsxwitlrthe floor simulates a clog dance.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated my'toy as embodied-in a ClZLHClHg-AHUTQ'J The general: construction and performance of this toy is similar to that shown in Fig. 1. The body 12 has a pair of unjointed hind legs 13 sewed for lateral pivotal movement thereto at 14 and a pair of fore legs 15 sewedthereto in like manner and provided with a sewed pivotal joint 16. Clogs 17 are sewed to the ends of the legs by thread extending through holes 18.

The head 19 of the mule may be provided with ears 20 sewed thereto for pivotal flop ping movement in like manner as the legs. The tail may be formed from a twisted. cord 21. The supporting and operating cord 22 is attached to the mule at the center of the back in a position which balances the body and its parts horizontally when supported thereon.

The operation and performance of the dancing mule is similar to that of the doll shown in Fig. 1. When slightly raised off the floor by the cord 22 and given quick short jerks, the hind legs flop or kick outward about. the pivots 14. The fore legs Hop about the body pivots and bend at the intermediate joints 16 and the ears flop in like manner, as illustrated in dash lines in Fig. 2. The clogs 17 aid considerably in the effect produced. It will be understood that the various movements cannot be completely illustrated in the drawing, but that the general constructionis such that the body is well balanced and moves about rather gracefully, while the hind legs kick outwardly and laterally and the fore legs swing and bend outwardy in a very peculiar but pleasing manner. This toy also gives the appearance that the mule rears, bucks and kicks sideways.

It will. of course be understood that my toy can be made to represent many different figures in addition to those illustrated in the drawing.

In all these toys, the dancing movement is conveyed by the proper attachment of the inelastic cord to the toy and the proper constufi'ed members hinged thereto, weights attached to the extremities of such members, the direction and position of the hinges, and the location of the point of suspension, which comprises the particular novelty of my invention. Also, the adaptability of the same for sale in package form for needle work is of articular value.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim is: i V 1. A dancing toy comprising a soft stuffed animal body, soft stufied limbs sewed thereto in a manner forming pivotal connections permitting lateral swinging movement of the limbs, weights attached to the extremities of certain of the limbs, and an inelastic cord attached to the body in a position to support the body and limbs in the natural 7 tached to the body in a position to support the body and lim in the natural position which they normally occupy, quick jerking movement of the cord when supporting the body being adapted to cause the limbs to flop laterally about the said pivotal connections and joints to simulate a grotesque dance. 1

3. A dancing toy comprising a soft stuffed animal body, two pairs of soft stuffed limbs secured thereto in a manner forming pivotal connections permitting lateral swinging movement'of the limbs, one pair of limbs having intermediate sewed portions r0- viding flexible joints, weights attache to the extremities of certain of the limbs, and an inelastic cord attached to the body in a position to support the body and limbs in the natural position which they normally occupy, quick jerking movement of the cord when supporting the body being adapted to cause the limbs to flop laterally about the said pivotal connections and joints to simulate a grotes ue dance.

- AURA K. H. THOMSEN, 

